What if switching how you buy your veg could help grow a farm? 🌱
If you’ve been following us on social media, you might have noticed we’ve been helping our daughter Georgia — aka Nina to her friends — bring an idea to life.
We’ve been taking part in the Bwyd o’r Tir programme, learning from other growers and visiting horticultural businesses to see how they make small-scale growing work.
One idea in particular stuck with Nina: Community Supported Agriculture.
What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.
Instead of growing food and then finding customers for it, growers have members who commit to regular Farm Shares. It gives them a better idea of who they’re growing for and helps them plan what to grow.
Read more on What is a CSA?
Nina’s starting small
We’re helping Nina run a small pilot through September, October and November.
It’s late in our growing season, so for the pilot she’s working with what we already have — including microgreens, courgettes, patty pans, tomatoes, shallots, winter squash and chillies.
The point of the pilot is to develop the process and shape Share+ ready for next year’s growing season.
What is Share+?
FTMicroFarm produce sits at the heart of each Share.
Nina takes what we have available, and tops it up with seasonal produce from our friends Chris & Liz at The Vale Grocer.
It means members get a varied selection of vegetables while Nina can concentrate on gradually increasing how much is grown here.
That’s the + in Share+.
How it works
Each Farm Share is £20.
🌱 Weekly Share+ — £80 per month (Four £20 Farm Shares)
🌱 Fortnightly Share+ — £40 per month (Two £20 Farm Shares.)
Shares are delivered every Tuesday via our current Denbighshire and Conwy coast free delivery run.
You can join for whichever month or months suit you.
Want to be part of the pilot?
The first FTMicroFarm Share+ memberships are now open, with limited places while we test the idea.
By joining this autumn, you’ll get your regular seasonal Farm Share+ and help shape the future of FTMicroFarm Share+ — hopefully for next year and beyond! 🌱
🌱 Share+ top up
Alongside what we have growing at FTMicroFarm, here’s an idea of some other produce the share could be topped up with:
🥔 Potatoes 🫑 Peppers 🥬 Cabbage 🥬 Kale 🌿 Kohlrabi 🥕 Carrots 🍄 Mushrooms 🧅 Onions 🫘 Runner beans 🥬 Leeks 🌿 Chard ❤️ Beetroot
You won’t get everything on this list and it will evolve as the weeks progress. On Monday evening Nina will take what we have available on the MicroFarm to The Vale Grocer, choose what she needs to top up the shares, then pack everything ready to bring to you on Tuesday. 🌱
🌱 Not in the delivery area but still want to contribute?
You can Sow a Little Support for £2.99 — roughly the price of a packet of seeds.
As a thank you, we've put together a little What’s in Season? digital guide to eating with the growing year, and your contribution will help Nina grow FTMicroFarm Share+ — more seeds, more varieties and more locally grown food. 🌱💜
Eat with the seasons. Buy Nina a packet of seeds. Help her grow.
And finally, a huge thank you. 💜
Whether you join the pilot or simply follow along, we really appreciate the support.
This is a small idea that she’s giving a go, and having people willing to get behind it means a lot to all of us.
Thank you very much!
Laura, Steve & Nina 🌱
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